Stir-fired Kidney and Château Léoville Las Cases
In Chinese dishes, kidneys are often prepared with elaborate crisscross cut to give the offal a beautiful appearance, transforming them into yaohua, literally ‘kidney flowers’. Shandong cuisine makes frequent use of pork kidneys and this dish is one of the most representative of the region’s fare, which is a must have in every Shandong restaurants. Kidneys prepared in this manner are not only delicate, but also extremely tender, moist and not greasy at all. The freshest pork kidneys must be selected to make this dish. After crisscross cutting the kidney surfaces, they are then marinated with soy sauce. Bamboo shoots and black mushrooms are often added as accompaniment to enrich the flavour. The succulent texture of the kidneys is the soul of this dish, therefore ingenious stir-frying skills are essential. Usually kidneys are quickly stir-fried in hot oil, then swiftly removed from the heat and sautéed again in a sauce slowly cooked from cooking wine, starch, salt and soy sauce to boost the flavour. Shandong cuisine is often best paired with Bordeaux wines. This typical kidney dish goes extremely well with the famous Château Léoville Las Cases of the Bordeaux left bank. Château Léoville Las Cases is classed by Robert Parker as a Super Second Bordeaux winemaker, and is widely considered a certain choice to challenge Premier Cru vineyards. The wine produced by the Château is known for its powerful structure and full body, reminiscent of the strength of a lion. The majestic lion and the delicate, crispy kidney is a match made in heaven between Bordeaux wine and Shandong cuisine. Autumn 2015. Austin Zhang